


of homecoming games and specially made jackets

by WhimsicalMercy



Series: MCYT December except it's not festive [26]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, American Football, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Football Games, Gen, Mentioned Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), supportive family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28722840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicalMercy/pseuds/WhimsicalMercy
Summary: His calendar was pulled up and, sure enough, Friday had no notes. Nothing planned, no events, nothing. He frowned deeply, thumb hovering over the day. Why hadn’t Tommy told him? Was it embarrassment? Was he in the phase where he thought he was too old to have his dad come to his games and events? Something in Phil’s chest ached at the thought. He was grateful neither of the twins had gone through such a phase, but that was Wilbur and Techno; Tommy was his own person and was very different from his older brothers.He turned to Techno and asked, “Why didn’t he tell me?”Phil finds out about an upcoming football game Tommy didn't tell him about.
Relationships: TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: MCYT December except it's not festive [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036191
Comments: 18
Kudos: 324
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	of homecoming games and specially made jackets

**Author's Note:**

> so
> 
> the new year hasn't been exactly kind to me so far, but here's day 28 of the MCYT but not festive challenge. The prompt was "Family fluff" and I wrote it specifically based off of an idea that moggin had lol This is also set in the same universe as [day 2](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842785) so yeah have fun
> 
> All characters used in this are based purely on their fictional personas. If any of the creators decide they are not comfortable with fanworks, this work will be taken down immediately to respect their wishes. I also ask that this work is not linked anywhere or intentionally shared with any of the creators mentioned.

Phil had been well-aware that raising three children on his own would not be easy.

He was glad that he didn’t have to deal with diapers and formula and even potty training, all of his boys had been older when he adopted them. Even then, he had to work hard to ensure that they had nice clothes and food and were able to indulge in their interests. They didn’t have a family pet, but it was sacrificed so Techno, Tommy, and Wilbur could develop various skills and have nice things. Granted, the larger things like Wilbur’s nice guitar and Techno’s fencing lessons were gifts for a birthday or Christmas, but he still indulged his boys as much as he could.

It usually meant putting in extra hours at work when he could and working overtime was just made easier now that Wilbur had a license and a car and was completely fine with carting his brothers to their various meetups for clubs and sports and with their friends. He tried to be as involved as possible. He went to Techno’s fencing competitions and orchestra concerts when he could, made sure he saw each one of Tommy’s and Wilbur’s plays and popped into the diner where Wilbur worked fairly frequently just to see him smile. It was exhausting, especially when he tried to keep up with the house and did his best to make homemade meals as much as he could. He usually spent his days off under his covers with his black-out curtains pulled tight until one of his kids called for him.

He was busy, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love his boys more than life itself. All three of them. He made sure they all knew he loved them and that he would make time for each of their special interests. It’s why he felt upset that Techno was the one to tell him about Tommy’s first (American) football game that was scheduled for the end of the week. It had been early, before the other two were downstairs (hell, Tommy was still asleep, Wilbur was just using the bathroom), during his and Techno’s special time of day. He had been sipping his coffee and, as soon as his son sleepily mentioned it, he set his mug down and grabbed his phone.

His calendar was pulled up and, sure enough, Friday had no notes. Nothing planned, no events, nothing. He frowned deeply, thumb hovering over the day. Why hadn’t Tommy told him? Was it embarrassment? Was he in the phase where he thought he was too old to have his dad come to his games and events? Something in Phil’s chest ached at the thought. He was grateful neither of the twins had gone through such a phase, but that was Wilbur and Techno; Tommy was his own person and was very different from his older brothers. 

He turned to Techno and asked, “Why didn’t he tell me?” His eldest son shrugged, scooping another mouthful of oatmeal into his mouth. He watched as Techno averted his eyes, suddenly very interested in his breakfast. Phil sighed again and gave Techno a look. It took another minute of Techno dutifully focusing on his breakfast before he cracked under Phil’s stern, but patient gaze.

“He didn’t want to bug you. He knows you usually get off early on Fridays and didn’t want to stress you out on the one day you use to do whatever you need to do.” Techno answered finally, voice low and drawling. The reasoning hit Phil like a stab in the chest. It was dual-sided; on one hand, he was just filled with love and affection and pride for how kind and thoughtful his son was. On the other hand, he was upset at himself for not showing that it didn’t matter what day of the week it was, he would be there for his sons. Techno finished his bowl as Wilbur walked in, heading upstairs to the bathroom now that Wilbur was finished with it.

He had gone through the day in a bit of a daze and was glad his boss was actually someone who cared about her employees. He knew his work wasn’t the best and knew he had come up a little short in what he had to do, but she just told him he could catch up tomorrow once he sorted out what was wrong. He had grinned sheepishly at that and promised to be in a better mood. The house was empty when he got home; Techno had pit orchestra rehearsal, Wilbur was at work and Tommy had football practice. It gave Phil the time to sit and think and plan.

First, he needed to find out if it was okay with Tommy that he came to his games before he did anything. Making his adoptive sons uncomfortable was never something he wanted to do, especially now that they were all teenagers. He wasn’t going to be that overbearing, overly involved dad that got his kids made fun of. Wilbur and Techno both seemed to glow and preen under the attention when he was there for their competitions or shows and Tommy seemed to be the same way, but, as he thought before, Tommy could be going through a phase. 

He asked offhandedly at dinner that night, not mentioning the upcoming game specifically. Tommy had been following in Techno’s footsteps, both of them scarfing down food as if they hadn’t eaten in years. Phil had his hands folded and his chin resting on them, simply watching. “The season starts soon, yeah, Tommy?” He asked and earned a nod, pasta sauce dripping down his youngest’s chin. He sighed and motioned to the pile of napkins, even as a fond smile curled on his lips. “You want me to go to games like I do Techno’s competitions and your and Will’s shows?” The question was gentle, but light. Tommy seemed to pause, thinking about it and he hurried to explain himself. “I understand if not, it can be embarrassing to have your old man showin’ up at your games.” He teased, his smile hiding the pit slowly growing in his stomach.

Tommy just shrugged. “‘s not embarrassin’.” He mumbled through a mouthful of food and Phil gave him a scolding look. He swallowed and wiped his mouth hurriedly. “Sorry, but no, I don’t mind if you wanna come. I just figured you weren’t interested in coming to see a game. It’s not like we’re into American sports like everyone else.” Tommy grinned mischievously and Phil snorted, picking up his fork again.

Stabbing his fork into the penne, he shook his head. “Of course I’ll come, but only if you’re okay with me going.” He left it on that and the conversation turned into Techno complaining about fencing until Wilbur threw open the front door and stormed in, heated over something that had happened on his shift. Dinner moved on and Phil’s plan slowly became firmer and firmer in his mind.

He spent his lunch break the next day talking with one of the moms who worked in his office. She was very involved in her children’s lives, being in the PTA and a girl scout troop leader, so he figured she would know someone who made what he needed. She cooed and sighed over how sweet he was and how it was nice to see a father be involved in his kids’ hobbies and clubs and that she wished her husband was as involved with their kids as him. He was glad she had given him the contact before she said that because he ended up getting yelled at when he said that every parent should be involved with their kids, regardless of being married or having a partner, and that he didn’t think anyone who wasn’t a great parent. Apparently, she took great offense on her husband’s behalf, despite her complaints barely a minute earlier.

He placed his order that day, paying extra for a rush order for it to be ready by Friday, and sent a text to Wilbur, Techno, Scott, and Tubbo to ensure all four of them were on the same page. He also sent a text to Jordan, who both agreed to help. Tubbo sent him a message reminding him that he would have to spend the hour before the game and halftime in his marching band uniform, but was otherwise completely on board and excited. It made him pause and wonder how he and Jordan got so lucky with their kids, all of them so genuinely good.

The excitement built as Friday crept closer and he tipped very generously when he picked up his order. 

He was grateful that Tommy, Tubbo, and Jordan all stayed at the school rather than returning home and driving back for the game. While he could fit himself and his three boys as well as Jordan and his two boys in his van, it wasn’t exactly a comfortable fit, and it usually meant that Tubbo was squished between Tommy and Techno in the third row, as he was the smallest. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done it before, it still wasn’t pleasant. He supposed Wilbur could drive his car or Jordan could drive his but it would be a waste of gas. 

People were buying tickets and filling up the stands when they arrived and Phil shrugged on his jacket, following behind the bright red jackets of Techno, Scott, and Wilbur. They stopped fairly frequently so the boys could greet their friends and teachers. They were complimented on their jackets and Phil puffed up in pride at the compliments he received regarding any one of his kids; teachers praising Techno’s work ethic, Wilbur’s creativity, and Tommy’s enthusiasm and energy. Now Phil usually thought of himself as a humble man, but he couldn’t help but preen under the praises sung about his kids.

They take their places in the stands and Phil briefly feels young again, everyone around him buzzing with energy and excitement. His eyes caught on another red jacket and he waved at Jordan, who was there to monitor and ensure nobody got hurt. Jordan grinned before whirling around to yell at some of the students. Phil snickered at the sight. The crowd went quiet as the announcer began to speak. The lady introduced the marching band and color guard and the group played. Pride bubbled in Phil’s chest at seeing Tubbo. He knew for a fact that the teen had put hours and hours of practice into the routine, Tubbo’s face red with sweat and exertion but a smile on his lips when their performance ended.

Next to be introduced were the cheerleaders and Phil blinked a few times at actually seeing male cheerleaders; a few to be exact. He knew male cheerleaders were needed and important to a squad, but he remembered that it had sort of been taboo at his and Jordan's high school. It was nice to see that things had diversified in the years he had been out of school. Wilbur shouted in excitement, calling out to two of the boys. Friends of his then. Scott cheered as well, bouncing on the balls of his feet. It was a little anxiety-inducing, watching the boys hold girls up and catch them as they came down, but it was clear they took their sport seriously. He clapped and cheered with everyone else, hooting and hollering as the group picked up their pompoms.

The visiting team ran onto the field and with their own cheerleaders and mascot and the other half of the stadium erupted into cheers. Of course, this was just a high school game so they clapped as well out of politeness. The real excitement started when the announcer greeted their team and Phil found himself cheering loudly at each player’s name. Of course, it started with Dream, the quarterback and team captain, and went down the roster. 

Phil swore his lungs were going to give out with how loud he yelled when the announcer yelled out, “ _Number 11, Tommy Watson!_ ” 

Sure enough, there was his youngest in shoulder pads and a jersey with ‘ _Watson_ ’ printed right over the number 11, just like the jackets the group wore. He was fairly positive that he, Wilbur, Techno and Scott were the loudest section at this point and it attracted Tommy’s attention immediately. Phil made eye contact with his son and grinned brightly. Tommy’s face lit up and he waved at the group of four before hurrying over to the team.

Phil cheered and groaned in the right spots, despite not understanding a thing that was going on. A bit after halftime, Tubbo joined them. He was sweating and looked rather tired, but he had switched his uniform for his jacket. The team didn’t win and Phil felt a little sad about that, but Tommy’s stunned look at the two family’s matching jackets and then his grin reassured him everything was better. Despite being 15, Tommy didn’t hesitate to throw himself into his father’s arms. Phil curled his fingers in the sweat-soaked curls at the base of Tommy’s neck and pulled away. Tommy’s eyes glistened. “You came? But it’s Friday you should be-”

He huffed and cut Tommy off. “Right fucking here. Your first high school game! I’m not missing that!” He scolded with a smile, ruffling Tommy’s hair. Tommy rolled his eyes, but his grin said everything.

“And matching jackets? Now you’re being embarrassing! You even got Jordan- oh shit uh- Mr. Maron to wear one!” Tommy whined, pulling away to sling his arm over Tubbo’s shoulder. “But uh..” Tommy trailed off and the chatter from the group went quiet for a minute. “Thanks... I really appreciate it...” He murmured and the chorus of ‘Awww’s struck up. Tommy barely got away from Wilbur and Scott’s smothering and Phil laughed.

Spending nearly a hundred dollars on jackets with his son’s football jersey on it and missing out on a laundry day was very obviously a good choice if Tommy’s smile was this bright.

**Author's Note:**

> the next day will be coming soon, thank you guys for being so patient!!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated so please don't be shy!!


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